HEALTHY SNACKS FOR THE KIDDOS

So I've been fretting a bit lately over processed foods. Mainly snacks for the kiddos (and myself). So my solution (of late) is to try really hard to take more thought and care into buying and mainly making some heal thing options.

I gave up microwaving popcorn some time ago and really enjoy making our own on the stove. 

I make the munchkins lunch which usually consists of a sandwich of sorts (cheese, jam, sun butter, mini bagel with cream cheese), two choices of fruit (or fruit and veggie) something salty (i.e. tortilla chips) and something sweet (i.e my sister sends crates of Oreos for munchkin) she's a chocolate girl. And so am I for that matter.  Also, she's allergic to nuts.

So I'm trying really hard to replace the sweets with something home made. Last week I made these yummy chocolate chip banana muffins. And am going to attempt a healthier version Sunflower Seed Butter cookie. I'm no expert, but at thew send of the day, I'd just like to feel good about the things I'm giving my brood to eat. But I digress..

For snack,  I've been doing a couple of popcorn combos including this one. Popcorn (made with olive oil and kosher salt), pretzels and white grape raisins.


Some other combo ideas: chocolate chips, dried apricots, banana chips, dried cranberries. Looking for more ideas so please shoot me a note with any?

I like to decorate a brown paper bag with little notes or jokes or throw it in one of her little lunch boxes like this hello kitty one I grabbed from the dollar spot at Target.

Not little h is a whole different ball game. This little boy only eats 5 things. This short order cook routine is starting to get on my nerves..

xxB

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TMI + 5 HEALTHY AFTERNOON SNACKS I WANT TO TRY

CAN NOT believe I am in here crying watching Bachelor In Paradise. Especially after I swore it was a crock and I would never even watch. Welp. I'm glad Marcus found love after Andi.  AND Sarah... I think you made a big mistake letting Rob go/comparing your relationship to others is never a good idea. P.S. I am now following you on instagram - I can be such a little stalker sometimes..  Now on to Farmer Chris and the Bachelor WOOT. #whoareyoutojudge:-)

So Yes - SNACKS.

They have been such a hindrance in my baby weight loss goals (is it still baby weight if the child is 2.5??). I actually don't have a problem giving the kids and hubby treats like cookies and ice cream and such because I feel that we do a decent job at balancing it out with healthy meals - lots of fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains. But I tend to go a bit over board when I dig in (can't eat just one). So I'm on the hunt for some healthy snacks that feel like a treat for the kiddos and myself.

Here are some that I found on Pinterest and am dying to try:

babble.com

everythingfab.com

fifteenspatulas.com

redbookmag.com

Those roasted chickpeas!! And some other healthier yumminess I'd like to try here.  Perfect for before lunch or after school snacks right?

Currently I've been munching on cucumbers with this dipping sauce or red and yellow peppers dipped in hummus. 

What's your go to snack? Please share!

xxB

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HELLO JULY: FOURTH OF JULY MENU IDEAS | FAVE 01

Happy July!

Please forgive the hiatus. I've been doing some soul searching over the last couple of weeks and although writing this blog is really one of my most favorite things to do, I'm having to rejigger my thought process when it comes to coming to and writing in this space. As we all know, comparison is the thief of joy and I've really been letting that bad guy steal some of mine. There are many talented people in this world, and thankfully so. They inspire me and give me hope everyday. There will always be bigger and better blogs that I love to look at but cannot spend my days (and nights) comparing myself and trying to emulate (and subsequently feeling horrible about myself in the process). Don't get me wrong, as in anything in life I think there is always room for improvement, if thats what makes you happy and feel more whole. Which is why I started this blog in the first place. So if it doesn't fit into those two categories then I'm going to try really hard not devote energy to that.

I started this blog to write about what makes me happy and inspires me (and also a place to vent when I need to just vent or get something off my chest),  hopefully some of those things will resonate and bring a smile or some inspiration to someone else.  But the "numbers" and the "likes" and the popularity contest really just adds to the list of things that steal away from positive energy and spirit.

Now the comments.. I love:-)

So as for this month, I'm going to be reaching back into the vaults and bringing back some of my FAVE posts that I really enjoyed and gave me LIFE.

Starting with this… Although we usually begin to celebrate summer as soon as the kiddos are out of  school (even though technically its still spring). But nothing says summer like the fourth of July.  I'm really looking forward to spending time with family and H gets really outrageous with the fireworks display… You'll find me on my front porch with a root beer (and a fire extinguisher) in hand and something yummy like this:

Photos by me

Happy Monday and Hello July!

I'm super excited about the 4TH of July!!! Its always been a big deal in my family as its my moms birthday so we always celebrated big!  With sparklers and a birthday CAKE.  And there's always plenty of southern potato salad with mustard and pickle relish, brown sugared baked beans, and lemonade too!

H has already stocked up on fireworks and from the looks of it we will need sunscreen, sunglasses and a fire extinguisher on hand. Since I wont be with mom for the holiday this year, we plan to have a close friend or two over and I hope we get double the fireworks (at home and down town - root beer floats in tow)!!

Oh, on another note: remember that Google Reader is shutting down on Today! If you are following BH and Co. via the Reader, thankfully there are new options out there for you to keep up with your blogs. I personally like Bloglovin the best, but Feedly or The Old Reader, I hear are good too. You can always keep up with BH and Co. by e-mail by subscribing on the sidebar over to the right!

Hope you have something special planned for the holiday! I'm always excited about any reason to have good food, good friends, and let the good times roll :-)

Menu:

Blue Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Grilled Red Onion and Romaine 

Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint

Blackberry and Buttermilk Sherbet

_____________

Blue Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Red Onion and Romaine

INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Turkey 
1 tbsp Worchester Sauce
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1 medium red onion cut into thick slices
salt
olive oil
4 hamburger buns
1 cup fresh romaine mix

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl combine turkey, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. On waxed paper shape turkey mixture into eight thin 4-inch-diameter patties. Place 1 tablespoon of the blue cheese into the centers of four of the patties. Top with the remaining four patties; pinch edges to seal.

Brush onion slices with olive oil; sprinkle with salt.

Place burgers and onion slices on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-high heat. Grill 5 minutes per side or until done (160 degrees F to 165 degrees F). Brush cut sides of buns with olive oil. Grill, cut side down, the last minute of grilling.

Serve burgers on buns with grilled onion slices, lettuce, and remaining cheese.

_________________

Watermelon and Feta with Mint Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 large watermelon

4 oz feta cheese

salt and pepper

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

6 whole mint sprigs

DIRECTIONS
Cut melon into bite sized squares, discarding seeds and set aside.  Loosely chop mint leaves and set aside as well. 

In a small bowl combine vinegar, salt, pepper and whisk until salt is dissolved.  Slowly whisk in olive oil.

In a large bowl combine melon, feta, dressing, and mint.  Gently toss until everything is coated and evenly mixed.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Garnish with mint sprigs.

_______________

Blackberry - Buttermilk Sherbet

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
In a blender or food processor, whirl the blackberries (along with any juices from thawed frozen berries) until smooth. Pour the puree into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much puree as possible; you should have about 1 cup puree. Discard the solids.

Add the sugar and whisk until dissolved. Whisk in the buttermilk and lemon juice.

Freeze the blackberry mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm enough to scoop, 4 to 6 hours. Makes about 1 1/2 pints; serves 6.

What yumminess do you have planned for the holiday? Do share:-)

xx,
Bunnie

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i love it when this happens!

totally random and off topic.

I've been a little off kilter all of this week. i was at a birthday party for one of the little munchkin's pals this past weekend... long story short, i went in the house quickly to throw something in the trash and when i came out she wasnt standing where i left her. being the helicopter mom that I am, i immediately scanned the back yard to keep an eye on  her.. and i didnt see her. so i quickly went inside and started looking from room to room in the house and asking if anyone had seen her.. each time i peeked into a room i expected to see her and didnt.
i got a really awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.. and then there she was standing at the front door with the other kids waiting for ice cream.. i didnt feel relief. i just picked her up and burst into tears.. i had never felt like that before, and i never want to feel that way again. the entire episode, probably lasted a total of a minute and thirty seconds.. it was the worst minute and thirty seconds of my life...

i guess that was long story long... my bad.

it didnt help that i had just watched the Jayce Lee Dugard special with Diane Sawyer...

at any rate, i've been having crazy dreams all week, it helps to get that off my chest.

As you know i've been trying with mediocre success to cultivate a little container garden. Not sure if I've mentioned that the yard is hubbys little manicured project, so he has so far refused to build me a raised garden bed, and instead assigned me a small space on a little deck on the side of the house...

just wanted to do a little post on my progress which i'm very excited about!

here is a before shot from around June 9.

and now I have these (little watermelon)!!

and these tiny tomatoes!!

some swiss chard and spinach

 jalapeno

some  bell peppers peeking through!!

and herbs galore!! They just sprung up after a good rain last week. I almost peed my pants!!

so again, my goal is to grow everything i'll need to make my own salsa by the end of the summer.. plus i threw in a few other fruits and veggies for good measure just to  get my feet wet.

with a little help from this guy, and my neighbor ginger, the munchkin and I harvested some basil (yes, she is wearing a ball gown.. all southern belles do their gardening in formal wear:) ...

 

and made my first ever batch of fresh pesto (with the help of ms. ina garten) !

I tossed in a little angel hair pasta and chicken and had a LOVELY meal!

i LOVE it when that happens!!!

the last two bananas...

My hubby only eats green bananas. which i think is pretty disgusting.. just so you know. at any rate, i buy a bunch of green bananas at the beginning of every week.. and inevitably by the end of the week i still have these two sad looking bananans..  i hate to throw away food, so i'd been freezing them and making smoothies..

lo and behold, i finally found the perfect recipe that only calls for two or three banans and it turns out perfect every time.. thanks to the folks over at thefreshloaf.com you really can throw this together in about 10 minutes or s o. and that's exactly what i did after making this deelish curry dish..

but i digress...

As I understand it, this recipe is from the 1997 revision of the Joy of Cooking.
Banana Bread


Makes 1 full-sized loaf or 2 small loaves
Preheat the oven to 350.
In one bowl, combine:

1/2 stick (4-5 tablespoons) butter, softened

2 eggs

2 or 3 very ripe bananas

2/3 cup sugar

Use a potato masher, fork, or spoon to squish the banana and mix the ingredients together. It is alright for there to be small (1 centimeter) chunks of banana in the batter, but you want most of the banana to be reduced to mush.


In another bowl, combine:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients are blended together.

If you like, stir in additional ingredients here, such as chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cherries or apricots, or chocolate chips. A handful (about a half a cup) is about right.

Pour the dough into greased baking pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Small loaves take around 30 minutes, a normal-sized loaf takes around 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven. This bread is great warm, but it is excellent cold too.

After they have cooled for 5 or 10 minutes the loaves can be removed from the pan to cool. Once they are cool they can be individually wrapped and frozen.

 

I think I put chocolate chips in EVERYTHING..

I'm so glad I read this recipe again. I realized I can cut this baby up and freeze. Now I dont have to figure out how to eat this whole thing without gaining ten pounds..

Enjoy!

i meant to tell you about..

The munchkins first sleep over. Well it was really for me. Munchkins baby sitter had pity on me since hubby was out of town for the night:-). She brought over tons of carbs and calories for us to enjoy..

We had SO much fun eating this:

and popcorn and chips and drinking sweet tea (my little southern girls favorite)..

We all put on our favorite pajamas and...

and we listened to music and danced and watched Disney's Princess and the Frog and I let her stay up a whole hour past her bed time.. Then I talked the sitters ear off until she fell asleep on the couch:-). This little fun filled evening got me to thinking about a few things:

1.  I must go to New Orleans and have some Gumbo and Beignets..

2. I have since found most of the 13 pounds I lost last year this time.. Dag Blasted holiday candy, cookies and pies!! I need to do something about that.

3. I cant wait until my little munchkin has her first sleepover with friends her own age. Its going to be SO MUCH FUN!! And I'm sure she will have to ask me to stop talking and go to my room:-).

Thanks for hanging out with us Bree!

the old college try!

So the folks (my parents) were in town and one the of projects I had on the docket was to get my dad to help me with some planting.. He has a great garden back home on thier acre of land chock full of all kinds of fruits and veggies.. I've mean pretending to start a garden for some time now and for the last few years have even gone out and bought some seeds.. But this year.. we took it a step further and actually put them in some dirt.. I'm starting with all of the ingredients to make my own home made salsa (tomatoes, peppers, onions, cilantro)plus a few other greens for salads..

the yard belongs to hubby so i'm forced onto our back deck, and my intention is to create a lush container garden.. so I'm looking for some inspiration.. we picked up some really cute pots from IKEA, but are starting here with these biodegradeable containers and some seeds.. my dad insisted on doing things the old fashion way. i would have been happy to pick up some saplings, but patience is a virtue (thats what It says..).

i'm keeping them indoors for now and already see some sprouts.. however, i've run into a little snafu. i have no idea what is what? no one told me that my Sharpie would fade.. so now the pots say absolutely nothing..

i suppose i'll just keep moving along and hopefully the contents will become apparent sooner rather than later.

as always my little munchkin is the best helper ever. she insisted on taking part of every stage of the process.

at any rate.. keeping my fingers crossed that I wont get discouraged and that i will be posting pix of Bunnie's home made salsa in no time at all:-)

summertime yum!

i've really been slacking on my blogging lately.. it makes me feel like a total drop out because i love doing it so much. trying to fit it all in now that i'm a regular working girl.. i CAN do it ALL right?

at any rate.. super glad that summer is underway!! although it's been pretty sweltering these last few days.. i've been making some super yummy stuff (some that fit into my new diet and some not so much:-)

just wanted to share:-)

i think i might be part hispanic because i love mexican food SO much.. anything that i can dip some tortilla chips into really makes me swoon.. so i usually keep some avacado on hand to whip up some impromptu guac on a moments notice!

we really love blt's!! especially with some home fries and onions!!  this is actually turkey bacon.. i cut out the swine some years back.. i make a yummy spread with mayo and basil and garlic. mmm mmm good...

 

there is nothing better than smores.. i've never gone camping, but who needs to.. just fire up this little grill and keep the marshmellows coming...

 

grilled fruit and whip cream.. they cancel each other out right?

love, love, love veggies.. and this baby brocolli sauteed with some lemon juice and garlic and some kosher salt are a crowd favorite in bunnievillle:-)

any quick and easy summer favs you'd like to share?

i made the list!

I was totally flattered to recieve this email from one of my dearest friends Lydia:

I jotted down my current list of favorite dishes (in no particular order) and you're on there! Too much free time I guess.

it IS actually pretty yummy, but i cant take the credit. try it:

Bunnie's Chicken and Hummus Pita Burger:
trader joes:
roasted chicken patties
roasted red pepper hummus
pita bread (dab a little olive oil on both sides and brown)
a little arugula.

Serve with home made sweet potato fries or my black bean salsa and tortilla chips (chips also from trader joe's:-).

YUM!

high school skinny...

so the other night when i went out with my bestie to the fashion show i wore this cute little denim trench dress. i've had it for a little while. it's one of my favs from bill hallman (virginia highlands). at any rate, i am embarrassed to say that before the night was over, two of the buttons had popped off. i'm assuming because of the pressure being applied from behind (my belly?).  sadly. so in an effort to not have to buy a new wardrobe (out of necessity) or not to run out of thread (from adjusting all my buttons). i will be attempting to turn back the hands of time (or at least the scale). this is day two without sugar or anything with a crust. i'm starting to feel a little like pookie (a crack addict) from" new jack city" as i put the brownies with peeps melted on top (thanks alli) and the strawberry cream cheese croissants in the freezer (dont worry.. i will return to you my loves).

additionally, i would like not to be the chubby mommy at the pool with the little munchkin this summer.

any encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

oh as for the picture below, tonight i made turkey and white bean chili. it's from phase 1 of the south beach diet cook book (thanks allison). not quite a spring time meal i suppose, but  i figured it's a step in the right direction.

try this one out woodberry:-)

Le Petit Marche'

Translates to "the Little Market". We had an excellent breakfast here on Valentine's Day, as the wife alluded to in her earlier post. You order at the register but they do bring the food to your table. I really like the fact that there were obvious regulars, as the staff greeted and treated them as such. I had pancakes and bacon. The wife had chicken sausage and a french toast sandwich deal. Yum! Coffee was also self serve. Total cost of $25 with tip, nice ambiance. We'll be back! 4 Sho!

the superbowl...

not a big football fan. i actually wish i was.  the festivities leading up to are all activities i enjoy.. hanging out with friends, talking smack, yelling at the television, offering my advice... making and eating snacks...
but when it comes to watching a bunch of guys run up and down a field.. my interest dwindles considerably.

at any rate, i thought it only fitting that i do a post to commemorate.. here are my thoughts and randomness on this occasion.

1. had a great pre-super bowl play date with hubby in tow with our pals the soons ... he's the little munchkin's boo:-) she showers him with kisses and hogs up all of his toys. we had yummy beer and wine and snacks and let the kids run a muck while we had grown up talk... this pic is from the summer so they were a bit younger.  we have to keep an eye out for this one:-)

2. i made three different kinds of salsa! well sort of.. tomato salsa, black bean salsa, and this super yummy guacamole. hubby made his infamous spicy corn and cilantro chicken.. i have no idea what the recipe is but it's super flavorful and delish.

3. he's not as hot as my darling hubby, but i'm just sayin:-) reggie bush is a cutie pie!! i cant see him with all of the extra padding. so well.. i guess i'm a saints fan tonight!!

 blackchristiannews.com

4. i'm a marketing person.. so i do enjoy watching the commercials...


5. catching up on some reading and stuff while the hubby watches the game.  i came up with this little logo for my book club...